Sliding, portable, vehicle mounted combination trunk-workbench with variable height adjustment

ABSTRACT

A vehicle mounted storage unit, adapted to be mounted to a floor portion of a vehicle having juxtaposed side panels and wheel wells that extend outwardly from each side panel by a first distance, and a vehicle surface a second distance away from the rearmost portion of the wheel wells that is perpendicular to the side panels and comprises the inner surface of a moveable tailgate. The storage unit includes two mounting brackets fixed to the floor portion of the vehicle adjacent to each side panel between the wheel wells and the tailgate. The mounting brackets have a width that is less than the first distance, a length that is less than the second distance, and a height that is less than the height of the side panels. The cabinet has a slide mechanism that allows it to move horizontally over the tailgate to its stops and back into a fully retracted position at the rear stops adjacent to the mounting brackets. The slide mechanism contains a quick release feature that allows the cabinet to be dismounted from the mounting brackets and from the vehicle without the use of tools. The cabinet has a locking mechanism that locks it to the slides and to the mounting brackets, and simultaneously locks the sliding drawers in the cabinet. Additionally, the cabinet contains bilateral gas cylinder mechanisms that raise and lower the cabinet. The gas cylinder mechanisms are firmly attached to the cabinet and to wheel platforms that have a plurality of lockable caster wheels mounted on their lower surfaces. When the cabinet is in its raised portion, it can be rolled around and used as a portable workbench. The cabinet also has an upper surface lid that extends over the sides of the cabinet and provides a workbench surface with measurement and alignment markings. For safety reasons, the mounting brackets have retaining ears and a retractable safety belt with a quick release mechanism. The safety belt is threaded through a ring mechanism firmly attached to the rear of the cabinet.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] 60/445,541 filed Feb. 6, 2003

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] 1. Field of Invention

[0005] This invention relates to storage devices that can be mounted andutilized in the beds of trucks or similar vehicles, and easily accessed,removed and transported.

[0006] The cargo carrying area of a pickup truck, van, or a sportutility vehicle is often referred to as the “bed”. The present inventionrelates to an enclosed, compact, organized, storage cabinet installed insuch a bed that readily converts to a portable, mobile workbench.

[0007] During certain types of transport it is desirable to include astorage container in a vehicle's bed. The storage container serves toretain tools, equipment, groceries or other items so as to allow theuser of the vehicle to have ready access to those items at thedestination. Hereafter the storage container shall be referred to as atoolbox.

[0008] Unfortunately, many available toolboxes in beds are positioned inpoor locations. For example, some toolboxes require leaning over thesides of pickup trucks to see the contents, much less to lift them outand use them. Some toolboxes are in fixed positions mounted on the sidepanels in pickup trucks and are also difficult to access. Some toolboxesare mounted on the side panels in pickup trucks and can slide along thelength of side panels, however, they remain difficult to access due totheir height and the need to reach over the tailgate or side panels ofthe bed.

[0009] Additionally, very few of the toolboxes are mobile in a simplefashion once they are removed from the vehicle, and they do not providerolling workbench functions.

[0010] 2. Prior Art

[0011] Various patents have been issued in the past that have describedvarious types of bed mounted storage containers or toolboxes, andvarious patents have been issued for combined toolboxes and workbenches.

[0012] Early truck mounted toolboxes-for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,488,669 (1984) to Waters, U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,774 (1985) to Whatley,U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,944 (1990) to Waters, although of varyingconfigurations and materials, were mounted on the side panels,permanently attached to the vehicle, difficult to access, and are notautomatically closed when the tailgate is up. These devices have theadditional disadvantage of protruding over the side panels, effectivelyeliminating the vehicle's capability of supporting toppers, andfrequently adding to the exterior size of the vehicle.

[0013] Other early truck mounted toolboxes-for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,283,083 (1981) to Johnson, mounted an enclosure on the inside of atailgate. This design has several disadvantages: when loaded it addsweight to the tailgate, is very limited in size, irregular in shape, andpermanently affixed to the vehicle.

[0014] Thereafter, truck mounted toolboxes-for example, in U.S. Pat. No.4,635,992 (1987) to Hamilton et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,315 (1987), U.S.Pat. No. 4,889,377 (1989) to Hughes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,636 (1992) toBarajas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,959 (1992) to King, U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,277(2002) to Wilding, U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,230 (20003) to Voves, maintainedthe same basic configuration as early designs, but added the feature ofallowing the toolbox to slide along rails affixed to the top or insidesof the side panels. These devices are difficult to access, and are notautomatically closed when the tailgate is up. These devices have theadditional disadvantage of protruding over the side panels, in mostcases effectively eliminating the vehicle's capability of supportingtoppers, and frequently adding to the exterior size of the vehicle.

[0015] Several other methods for moveable truck mounted toolboxes—forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,987 (1995) Sturgis, an external box isaffixed to a side panel inside the bed and the internal enclosurerotates out towards the rear of the bed. The disadvantages of thismethod are limited size, the permanently mounted stationary enclosure,and the difficult access reaching over the tailgate. In U.S. Pat. No.6,015,177 (2000) to Tijerina, a toolbox is mounted on rails attached tothe inner walls of the side panels that angle up and over the wheelarches. The disadvantages of this method are difficulty in accessing theenclosure, difficulty lifting the enclosure over the wheel arches, andthe non-automatic closure of the enclosure in its normal travelposition. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,087 (2001) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,629(2002) both to Lance et al, rear or front floor-mounted enclosures thatare removable are proposed. The disadvantages of these proposals are thelimited size of the enclosure, limited utility of the enclosure, and inthe front mounted case, the difficulty of access. In U.S. Pat. No.6,253,976 (2001) to Coleman et al, a side panel mounted sliding androtating enclosure is proposed. The disadvantages of this proposal arethe difficulty is accessing the enclosure, and intrusion of the railsystem on other bed uses. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,274 (2002) to Mink etal, a sliding system mounted to the floor of the bed is proposed. Thedisadvantages of this system are it prevents using the bed for any otherpurposes, and the enclosure is not readily portable.

[0016] Combination toolbox and workbenches are also known-for example,in U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,822 (1983) to Rice, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,703(1988) to Cimino, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,037 (1998) to Faulhaber,rolling workbench and toolbox combinations are proposed. Thedisadvantages of these proposals are they are not vehicle-mount ready,they have fixed size configurations, and limited ground clearance isprovided.

[0017] Several methods have been proposed for lifting toolboxes orsimilar enclosures—for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,866 (1999) toScheibel, a self-loading transporter is proposed. The primary objectiveof this device is moving, loading, and lifting a container into avehicle. The disadvantages of this proposal are that it does not providean anchored and ready access toolbox when in the vehicle, it does notprovide workbench capabilities, and it prevents other uses of the bedwhen loaded. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,973 (2003) to Fritter, a toolboxloading and unloading cart is proposed. The disadvantages of thisproposal are that it has a fixed height, it does not provide toolbox orworkbench capabilities, and it is not firmly affixed to the vehicle whenloaded. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,624 (1990) to West, and U.S. Pat. No.5,303,969 (1994) to Simnacher, permanently fixed systems are proposedfor hydraulically lifting a toolbox within the confines of a vehicle.The disadvantages of these proposals are the permanence of the hydraulicsystems, the difficulty of accessing the contents over the side panels,the limited functionality of the toolboxes, and the general complexityand cost of the hydraulics.

[0018] All of the vehicle mounted toolbox systems heretofore knownsuffer from some combination of the following disadvantages:

[0019] (a) The toolboxes as described are not readily portable at adestination or jobsite.

[0020] (b) The toolboxes as described are not readily reconfigurable tothe proper height for workbench uses.

[0021] (c) The toolboxes as described do not provide workbenchcapabilities.

[0022] (d) The mounting systems within the vehicles do not allow for theuse of the side panel rails for other normal purposes.

[0023] (e) The mounting systems within the vehicles do not allow for theuse of the main bed for other normal purposes.

[0024] (f) Access to the contents of the toolboxes is difficult byvirtue of mounting position, height, or reach.

[0025] (g) The locking mechanism and subsequently the contents of thetoolbox are not protected from tampering when the tailgate is closed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION-OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

[0026] The objects and advantages of the present invention hereafterreferred to as the truck-bench are:

[0027] (a) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that allows forconvenient and easy access while mounted in the bed of a vehicle;

[0028] (b) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that slides out over thetailgate of said vehicle;

[0029] (c) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that is easily detachedfrom said vehicle;

[0030] (d) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that functions as aworkbench;

[0031] (e) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that is easilytransportable;

[0032] (f) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that functions as arolling standalone toolbox when detached from said vehicle;

[0033] (g) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox whose height can beeasily adjusted;

[0034] (h) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that is protected fromtampering when the tailgate is closed;

[0035] (i) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that includes aquick-release safety belt to prevent sudden movement of said toolbox;

[0036] (j) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that easily locks intoplace in said vehicle bed;

[0037] (k) to provide a vehicle mounted toolbox that can be internallyreconfigured for multiple functions.

SUMMARY

[0038] The present invention is a storage cabinet sized to be capable ofbeing mounted to a rear floor portion of a vehicle having juxtaposedvehicle side panels, and juxtaposed wheel wells each having a portionthat extends outwardly from its respective side panel by a firstdistance in a first direction, and a rear vehicle tailgate that ismoveable between a closed position and an open position, the tailgatebeing spaced from the rear portion of the wheel wells by a seconddistance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0039] The storage unit comprises a cabinet having a length not greaterthan the width of the tailgate, a depth not greater than the seconddistance, with no portion of the cabinet extending outside of a spacebounded by a horizontal plane coinciding with the rear portion of thewheel well, and a second vertical plane coinciding with the interiorportion of the tailgate when the tailgate is in its closed position, anda height, in its normal position, not greater than a plane defining thetop surfaces of the side panels.

[0040] The cabinet also comprises a hinged upper surface firmly attachedto the rear vertical member of the cabinet that extends laterally beyondthe side vertical members of the cabinet, and has gas struts to supportit in the fully open position.

[0041] The cabinet also comprises a center storage section with aremovable central divider, two hinged doors revealing the interior ofthe cabinet, and a first and second drawer disposed in the bottomportion of the cabinet in a side-by-side fashion.

[0042] Each of the drawers has a depth that is less than the seconddistance, and a length that is not greater than one half the length ofthe lower section of the cabinet.

[0043] The cabinet also comprises a plurality of drawer support membersthat support the drawers so that the drawers are moveable in a directionparallel to the length of the cabinet.

[0044] The cabinet also comprises two adjustable gas cylinder wheelassemblies each comprising a gas cylinder, cylinder actuator, wheelplatform, and guide rods. The gas cylinders are fully enclosed andfirmly attached at one end to the interior of the cabinet and at theother end to the wheel platform. The gas cylinders are positioned one ateach end of the cabinet, and move in a vertical direction, perpendicularto the length of the cabinet. The cylinder actuators are integrated intothe gas cylinders and are moved by depressing a button mounted in theupper end of each cylinder.

[0045] The wheel platforms each comprise a horizontal platform that issized to fit in cutouts in the bottom portion of the cabinet and eachhave two fully articulating caster wheels firmly attached to the lowersurface of platform. Each of the wheels may have a locking mechanism toprevent or allow rolling.

[0046] There are two guide rods for each wheel platform, firmly attachedto the upper surface of the wheel platform, and mounted parallel to thegas cylinders. Each guide rod slides vertically in and out of acorresponding guide hole in the body of the housing for the gas cylinderwheel assemblies.

[0047] The storage unit also has two retention members, one on eachside, firmly affixed to the vehicle. The two retention members comprisebrackets securely attached to the floor of the bed or side panels of thebed in the space not to exceed the first dimension or the seconddimension.

[0048] The retention members also comprise cabinet support slides thatsupport the cabinet and allow the cabinet to move in a directionparallel to the length of the bed between a stored position where noportion extends beyond a vertical plane defined by the interior surfaceof the tailgate in its closed position, and an extended position whenthe cabinet is positioned over the extent of the tailgate in its openposition.

[0049] The retention members also comprise a retractable safety beltsystem. The rolling belt retractor is mounted on one of the retentionmembers and the buckle fastener mounted on the paired retention member.The rolling belt threads through a firmly attached ring mounted on therear vertical surface of the cabinet.

[0050] The features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detaileddescription of the preferred embodiments, which are made with referenceto the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

[0051]FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway view from above and in front of thetrunk-bench as it would be mounted in a pickup truck.

[0052]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the standalone trunk-bench showingthe configuration and basic inner workings.

[0053]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the L mounting brackets andsupport slides used to mount the trunk bench in a vehicle.

[0054]FIG. 4 is a perspective detail drawing of the gas cylindermechanism, internal to the trunk-bench, that is used to raise and lowerthe trunk-bench, and details of the wheel platform.

[0055]FIG. 5 is a perspective detail drawing of the pneumatic gascylinder activating handle mechanism.

[0056]FIG. 6 is a perspective detail drawing of the lower lockingmechanism that is used to secure the box to the support slides andprevent the lower drawers from being opened.

[0057]FIG. 7 A is an elevation drawing of an alternative method forimplementing the support slides.

[0058]FIG. 7B is an orthogonal view of the alternative shown in FIG. 7A.

[0059]FIG. 8 is an elevation drawing of an alternative to the front ofthe trunk-bench showing hinged front opening panels.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0060] 10 side panels 11 floor 12 tailgate 14 cabinet 16 lid 18 mountingbrackets 20 wheel platforms 22 lower support slides 24 upper supportslides 26 lock cylinder/shaft 28 left locking rod 30 right locking rod32 safety belt 34 quick release latch 36 D ring 38 safety belt retractor40 hand holds 48 lid struts 50 gas cylinders 52 guide rods 54 actuatorarms 62 caster wheels 64 lockable release handle 90 locking holes

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1-8—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0061] Referring more particularly to the drawings, a preferredembodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 (perspectivecutaway), as it would be mounted in a pickup truck bed. The body of thecabinet 14 is constructed of a sturdy material such as a durableplastic, aluminum or light gauge steel with appropriate internalbracing. It fits within the pickup side panels 10, and is attached to Lmounting brackets 18 (shown in more detail in FIG. 3.) on each sideusing two very heavy duty support slides 22 lower, and 24 upper, on eachside. The L mounting brackets are securely attached to the pickup bed 11that has both vertical side panels 10 and a hinged tailgate 12. Thedrawer slides fully support the weight of the cabinet and allow theentire unit 14 to slide out over the tailgate 12 (as indicated by thearrows).

[0062] The lid 16 of the cabinet has a top surface that is smooth andflat with etched or marked vertical and horizontal scales 44, 42 formeasuring. It also has two handholds 40, one on each side, that are usedto facilitate moving the cabinet while in use. The upper surface wouldideally be made of a non-abrasive, dent resistant metal such asstainless steel securely affixed to the main body of the lid. Moredetails of the standalone cabinet and lid are shown in FIG. 2.

[0063] The wheel platforms 20 are permanently and securely attached tothe pneumatic gas cylinder and guide rods (shown in more detail in FIG.4) mounted inside the trunk-bench. The wheel platforms are raised andlowered by moving the left and right actuator arms 54. They are alsoattached to four lockable, caster wheels 62 securely mounted such thattwo wheels are mounted on the lower surface of each wheel platform 20towards the ends. The four wheels extend below the lowest surface of thetrunk-bench when the cabinet is fully lowered to allow access to severalinches of vertical height for a variety of items (as shown in FIG. 1).To assist with aligning the cabinet on the slider/rails as it is beinginstalled, the wheels rest on the surface of the alignment ramps 46L,46R. The alignment ramps fit into the pickup bed 11 grooves and are madeof a light, durable and slightly rough substance to provide some rollingfriction.

[0064] At the rear of the cabinet 14 is a retractable belt 32, similarto a seatbelt, that runs through a retaining D-ring 36 that is securelyattached to the back of the cabinet. One end of the belt is attached toa belt retractor 38 that is securely mounted on the right side Lmounting bracket 18R. The other end of the belt has a metal buckle 35that plugs into the quick release connector 34 that is securely mountedon the left side L mounting bracket 18L. This arrangement is shown inmore detail in FIG. 3.

[0065] The entire cabinet 14 can be locked into the lower slide rails 22on each side with the internally mounted locking rods 28, 30 and lockcylinder/shaft 26 (shown in more detail in FIG. 6). The locking rods areactuated by the lock cylinder/shaft 26 in the front of the cabinet.Additionally, the two lower drawers 56L, 56R can be locked at the sametime by the U-rod 108 ends engaging the locking holes 110L, 110R. Whenit is in the locked position, this entire locking mechanism prevents thecabinet from sliding on the rails and prevents the lower drawers frombeing opened.

[0066] The main cabinet 14 of the trunk-bench is shown in its dismountedand standalone configuration in FIG. 2. The lid 16 has a hinge set 66that runs the entire width of the back and one or two small lid gasstruts 48 that keep the lid in its fully raised position. Furthermore,the lid contains a small compressible gasket 77 running along theperimeter that mates with the body of the main cabinet. Note also thatboth ends 68 of the lid 16 protrude over the edge of the cabinet farenough to cover the slide mechanisms and far enough to be used forworkbench ends (for clamping, sawing, drilling, etc.). The lid islatched with the two lockable release handles 64. These keep the lidsecure and along with the gasket 77 sealed against the elements. Lastly,the center removable panel 58 is shown in place. This panel can beremoved to make a single long central storage area instead of twosmaller ones.

[0067]FIG. 2 also shows the motion of the various elements of thetrunk-bench. The wheels 62 roll and pivot, and the wheel locks 63 pivotto/from locked/unlocked positions. The wheel platforms 20 on both sidesslide up and down, driven by the motion of the gas cylinders 50. The gascylinders move up and down respectively by up/down motion of theactuator handles 54. The drawers 56 slide in and out. The lid 16 pivotsopen and closed along its hinge point 66. Finally, the cabinet 14 slidesin and out on the slides/rails 22, 24 mounted to the L mounting brackets18.

[0068]FIG. 3 shows details of the left L mounting bracket 18L, which isa mirror image of the right L mounting bracket 18R (with the exceptionof the retractable safety belt hardware 34, 38). The L mounting bracketsare securely mounted to the floor of the pickup bed using heavy dutybolts or may be welded in place. In FIG. 3, the body of the L mountingbracket 18L is made of hard and durable material such as steel and hastwo supporting angle brackets 72 for rigidity. At the rear of thebracket is a retaining ear 70L that prevents the cabinet 14 from movingforward inadvertently or in case of an accident. The retaining ear 70Lprovides a mounting point for the quick release belt mechanism 34 andthe other retaining ear 70R provides a mounting point for the beltretractor 38. The L mounting bracket has several tie-down holes 74 forgeneral use with ropes or other fastening devices.

[0069]FIG. 3 also shows the slides. The upper slide 24L is in its fullyretracted position and the lower slide 22L is in its fully extendedposition. Drawer member 23L is the portion of the slide that is securelyand permanently connected to the side of the cabinet 14. The slide stop150L prevents overextension of the slide. When the cabinet 14 is in itsfully retracted position the lock hole 90L in the slide aligns with thelocking rod 28. In the locked position, the left locking rod 28 isfitted through the hole and into the slide mechanism.

[0070]FIG. 4 shows details of the right wheel platform and pneumatic gascylinder assembly 80R mounted in the right side of the cabinet. The leftside is a mirror image of the right side. In this figure the wheelplatform is approximately midway between the retracted and extendedpositions. The pneumatic gas cylinder 50 is permanently and securelyaffixed to the wheel platform 20 and to the upper support bracket 86.The actuator arm 54 is raised to depress the cylinder release button 55and thereby extend, under no load, the cylinder or retract it, under aheavy load. To prevent the wheel platform from twisting, guide rods 52front and rear, move up and down in the rod guides 53. The rod guidesare vertical holes drilled or formed in the guide mounting blocks 82,84. Both guide rods and the lower portion of the gas cylinder movevertically in appropriately sized holes through the housing of theassembly 80. Similarly, the locking rod 30 moves back and forthlaterally through the locking rod hole 90 drilled horizontally throughthe front guide mounting block 82 and the lower support slide 22.

[0071]FIG. 5 shows details of the actuator arm 54, the top of the gascylinder 50, and the cylinder release button 55. The actuator armmechanism pivots around the orthogonal arm, depresses the cylinderrelease button, and is securely mounted to the inside of the assembly80R using the mounting attachment 92.

[0072]FIG. 6 shows details of the lower locking mechanism that securesthe cabinet 14 by moving the locking rods 28,30 horizontally through theholes 90 in the guide mounting blocks and subsequently through the holes90 in the lower slides 22. The locking mechanism simultaneously pushesthe U-rod 108 and the U-rod ends through the locking holes 110L, 110R inthe drawer assemblies 56L, 56R. This action is accomplished by turningthe mechanism of the lock cylinder/shaft 26 clockwise, which moves thelock actuator arm 100, and the lock cam 102. When the pressure isreleased by turning the lock cylinder counterclockwise, the cam isforced up by the cam spring 106 exerting pressure on the U-rod plate 104and thereby keeping the U-rod and locking rods retracted.

[0073]FIG. 7A shows two elevation views of an alternative to themounting slides 22, 24. In this case, two parallel C-channels 120L aresecurely mounted on the body of the cabinet 14 using mounting ears 126.A set of T-roller wheels 124 rolls in the C-channels and is supported bytheir shaft and bearing set 130. The bearing housing 122 is securelyaffixed to the L mounting brackets 18. Each of the C-channels has aquick release 123, end-stop 127 and inner/outer channels 125 similar tothe slides 22,24.

[0074]FIG. 7B is an orthogonal view of the alternative shown in FIG. 7A.

[0075]FIG. 8 shows a front elevation of the cabinet 14 with two hingedaccess doors 140L, 140R. These doors have respectively hinges 142L, 142Ralong the length of their outside edges. For security purposes, they canonly be opened after the lid 16 has been raised. Each door has frictionlocks on the lower center edges for positive locking and to assist inweather sealing.

[0076] Operation—FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

[0077] The described invention is mounted in the bed of a vehicle usingL mounting brackets 18. The cabinet 14 of the invention is attached tothe L mounting brackets using support slides 22, 24 that have stops atthe fully in and fully out positions. The cabinet can be moved in ahorizontal fashion for the full range of travel of the slides by pullingon the front of the cabinet or pushing on it.

[0078] The cabinet 14 can be locked to the lower support slides 22, andthe drawers 56 can be locked by turning the lock cylinder/shaft 26clockwise ¼ of a turn. This action extends the locking rods 28, 30 andthe drawer locking U-rod 108 into the appropriate locking holes 90, 110.

[0079] The cabinet 14 can be detached from the support slides 22, 24 bysliding out the slide locks 152 and pulling on the cabinet until itreleases from the slides. Similarly the cabinet can be re-attached tothe support slides by aligning it with the four support slides 22, 24and pushing the cabinet onto the slides until it latches.

[0080] The cabinet 14 is raised by lifting both of the actuator handles54, and letting the gas cylinders 50 push the cabinet up. Similarly, thecabinet can be lowered by lifting both of the actuator handles whilesimultaneously applying a downward force on the center of the cabinet.

[0081] The cabinet 14 can be secured with the retractable safety belt 32by threading the belt through the D-ring 36 mounted on the rear surfaceof the cabinet, and inserting the buckle 35 into the quick release latch34. The belt can be released by depressing the quick release latchbutton; it will subsequently retract.

[0082] The caster wheels 62 attached to the wheel platforms 20, can belocked to prevent rolling by depressing the wheel latches 63, andunlocked by reversing that motion.

[0083] Advantages

[0084] From the description above, a number of advantages of ourinvention become evident:

[0085] (a) the position and shape of the entire trunk-bench system willallow for more truck bed utility than previous art;

[0086] (b) the ability to easily remove the cabinet from the mounts willallow for more truck bed utility than previous art;

[0087] (c) the ability to slide the cabinet out over the tailgate willimprove access to the contents;

[0088] (d) the ability to lock the cabinet to the support slides usingthe locking rods will improve the security of the cabinet and itscontents;

[0089] (e) the capabilities of the attached safety belt will improve thesafety of those persons traveling in the vehicle or who may be aroundthe vehicle whilst it is en route;

[0090] (f) the over-latch of the lid will further improve the safety ofthe cabinet and its contents;

[0091] (g) the position of the cabinet between the wheel wheels and thetailgate, with the latching and locking mechanisms against the inside ofthe tailgate will improve the security of the cabinet and its contents;

[0092] (h) the ability of the cabinet to be raised or lowered on its gascylinders will improve its functionality and provide greater utility;

[0093] (i) the ability of the cabinet to be rolled about on its wheelsboth within the bed of the vehicle when not attached to its mountingbrackets, and when dismounted from the vehicle will improve itsfunctionality and provide greater utility;

[0094] (j) the inherent overhang of the ends of the lid will provide formore utility especially when used as a workbench;

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

[0095] Accordingly, the reader will see that the ability of thisinvention to slide in and out over the tailgate facilitates access tothe contents of the cabinet. Further, the ability to easily dismount thecabinet from the bed, raise it to the height of a workbench and roll itabout further increases its utility. Other capabilities inherent in thedesign provide additional advantages in that:

[0096] the mechanism for locking the cabinet to the support slides andsimultaneously locking the internal drawers prevents access to thecabinet and its contents;

[0097] the safety belt feature prevents sudden untoward movement of thecabinet;

[0098] the design of the lid with protruding ends and an integratedscale facilitates workbench functions;

[0099] the positioning of the cabinet against the inner surface of thetailgate and below the top surface of the side panels providesadditional security for the cabinet and its contents.

[0100] Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art given the previous description.For example, the cylinder actuators can be cable actuated, the dualguide rods and single gas cylinders in each side may be replaced by dualgas cylinders, detachable saucer disks may be fitted to each wheel tofacilitate sliding the cabinet across rough, soft or uneven terrain, theunit may be mounted in a different location in a vehicle, etc. Thisdescription is to be construed as illustrative only, and is for thepurpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carryingout the invention. The details of the structure and method may be variedsubstantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, andthe exclusive use of all modifications that come within the scope of theappended claims is reserved.

We claim:
 1. A vehicle mounted storage unit capable of being mounted toa floor portion of a vehicle having juxtaposed side panels, a wheel wellextending outwardly from each side panel by a first distance, a vehiclesurface that is perpendicular to said side panels, said vehicle surfacebeing spaced from the rearmost portion of said wheel wells by a seconddistance, said vehicle surface being movable as the inner surface of atailgate, said vehicle mounted storage unit comprising:
 2. a mountingbracket fixed to each said floor portion of said vehicle, said mountingbrackets having a width that is not greater than first distance, saidmounting brackets having a length that is not greater than seconddistance, said mounting brackets having a height that is not greaterthan the height of said side panels, said mounting brackets being fixedto each said floor portion of said vehicle at mounting points adjacentto said sidewalls of said vehicle and between said wheel wells and saidvehicle surface, said mounting brackets having a rigid retaining earthat prevents forward motion of said storage unit;
 3. a cabinet capableof being fixed to said floor portion of said vehicle at said mountingpoints, said cabinet having a length, width, and height, said length ofsaid cabinet being no greater than the width of said tailgate, saidwidth of said cabinet being no greater than second dimension, saidheight of said cabinet being no greater than height of said side panels,said cabinet containing a main storage area and two sliding drawerslaterally mounted in the lower portion of said cabinet, said cabinethaving pivotally attached access doors on the front;
 4. a slidemechanism that facilitates attachment of said cabinet to said mountingbrackets and movement of said cabinet orthogonally to said mountingbrackets, said slide mechanism containing a quick release mechanism thatfacilitates rapid release and reattachment of said cabinet to saidmounting brackets;
 5. a slide locking mechanism that facilitates lockingof said cabinet to said rails and said mounting brackets in a fixedposition, said locking mechanism simultaneously locks said slidingdrawers;
 6. a gas cylinder mechanism that facilitates raising andlowering said cabinet, said mechanism being securely attached to saidcabinet, said mechanism being fully enclosed in said cabinet, saidmechanism having readily accessible actuators, said mechanism capable ofraising said cabinet above its locked height, said mechanism capable ofoperating when said cabinet is dismounted from vehicle, said mechanismcapable of operating when said cabinet is mounted in vehicle;
 7. a wheelplatform that facilitates rolling of said cabinet, said platform beingsecurely attached to said bottom of gas cylinder mechanism, said wheelplatform having a plurality of wheels on its lower surface, said wheelsprotruding below the lower surface of said cabinet when said gascylinder mechanism is fully retracted;
 8. a safety belt mechanism thatprevents sudden movement of said cabinet, said mechanism comprising abelt retractor securely attached to one of said mounting brackets, saidmechanism having a quick release mechanism securely attached to theopposing mounting bracket, said safety belt being attached to saidcabinet on the rear surface;
 9. an upper surface lid that facilitatesworkbench functions, said upper surface being pivotally attached to saidcabinet, said upper surface extending over the sides of said cabinetwithin the width limitations of said tailgate, said upper surfacecontaining measurement and alignment aids, said upper surface containinghandholds to facilitate movement of said cabinet, said lid having afront lip that covers the upper front portion of said cabinet andprevents said hinged access doors from opening when said lid is closed;